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The season’s winding down

Brian Ross
Brian Ross
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Friday – is the night to see what DJ Late Night has cooking at Tongo’s. He takes a lot of hip-hop, a dash of punk, and a sprinkling of whatever piques his interest. Enjoy his fine mix of entertaining music. Electronic styles cover the rest of the clubs on this night. The Bridge has DJ Harry and his funky tribal sounds, while Sanctuary gives you a couple choices with Mike McGoun playing all the current dance hits upstairs and one of the local twosomes bringing on the lounge vibe downstairs. 8150 has put together an interesting combination for your entertainment. First it’s DJ John Kelley, a 10-year veteran of the Los Angeles music scene, who will be playing a mix of styles, all with one mission – to make you dance.

“A mixture of techno, techhouse, breakbeats, and house. It really depends on what the crowd responds to,” says Kelley describing his set.

He says he was inspired to quit medical school and become a DJ after witnessing other DJs in the LA rave scene, such as Doc Martin and DJ Dan. On this night, Kelley will precede an extra exciting element to incite crowd. The second part of 8150’s one-two punch night is the “Hottest Snow Bunny Contest”. Sugar Productions will bring in as many as 30 beautiful women to compete onstage for a snowboard from The Other Side in Beaver Creek. The women, mostly models and dancers, will be coming from all over Colorado to compete, but I know there are some local’s who can hold there own, so don’t be shy. All you need to enter is a little confidence and even less to wear. The contest will be judged by former Playboy Playmate Lisa Parson and Theo, the former lead-singer for Lord of Word. Hot hint: According to Parson it takes skin to win.



Saturday – the focus turns back to hip-hop. The Bridge has Steve Stone and Z-28 on the wheels of steel. They will spin many styles of hip-hop covering old school, underground and current tracks. After an amazing string of hip-hop acts to visit the valley this season, 8150 brings in the finale with the world-famous Beat Junkies. This DJ ensemble consists of eight members, including recent visitor DJ Babu of Dilated Peoples. Performing on this night will be DJs D-Styles, J Rocc, Melo D, and Rhettmatic. They will all be at their decks displaying the internationally known “Beat Junkie Sound” with all four DJs scratching and blending with each other to create their own songs. While many DJS do this only in the studio, the Beat Junkies have made it their mission to recreate their albums live onstage. Most recently they have released D-Styles album “Phantazmagorea” with music created entirely from scratching. The crew plans on performing many of these tracks Saturday evening. If you prefer the house music of the night before, Sanctuary is the place for you with last night’s DJs.

Sunday – brings one of the most talented funk-jazz groups around. Fans of all musical convictions will enjoy Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe. Denson first made a name for himself playing for Lenny Kravitz, but moved to centerstage as the front-man of The Greyboy All-Stars, one of the best jazz and dance bands to come around. As a solo artist Denson has expanded his fan-base to include not just jazz listeners, but also the jam band crowd. Other options for the night include The Bridge’s weekly lo-fi experience, Sunday Night Solutions with Dj .Com and Scotty Stoughton of Sucker playing dub all night. The turn tables will spin bass-heavy reggae and house to compliment Stoughton’s his live vocals and percussion. Downvalley it’s C-Note’s Zen-Den at Agave, where hip-hop and down-tempo tracks rule the airwaves providing a great atmosphere to chill out at the end of one of the last weekends of the season.

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Monday – Agave keeps the music going with groove. DJs Gibby, Mike D., Crack-A, and Anim-A all take their turns behind the decks, spinning progressive, house, trance, and more. 8150 provides a chance for the valley’s up and coming DJs to show off their stuff at the wheels of steel. The first six DJs to sign up get 45 minutes each to show their skills in a real concert venue.

Wednesday – finishes the week with local bands. My first choice is Little Hercules at The Bridge. Before their annual trip to New Orleans for Jazzfest, you can catch these Minturn residents let their funk loose. My second choice would be the genre-busting sound of Sucker at 8150. Though the band’s members actually live in Boulder now, they have called Vail home often enough to still be considered locals. Their mix of rock, reggae, pop, and electronica attracts the crowds and especially the ladies. Hopefully the police won’t take any band members away before the second set.

Take advantage of the entertainment while it lasts, because one more week and it’s over for a while. There are some great choices, so don’t waste your time sitting on the couch.


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